Primal Fear: Ed Norton's Guide to Handling Stage Fright

Every bold, new venture naturally evokes fear, or the feeling that "you’re a fraud. This is not going to work."

03 January, 2014

It is time to make your pitch - whether it is in an elevator or in an auditorium. It is time to summon your self-confidence and drown out your fears. That is the key to success. Right? Wrong - according to the Academy-award nominated actor Edward Norton.

Norton says that every bold, new venture naturally evokes fear, or the feeling that "you’re a fraud. This is not going to work."

In a lesson on Big Think Edge, the only forum on YouTube designed to help you get the skills you need to be successful in a rapidly changing world, Norton explains how ignoring or denying fear is dangerous. A smarter approach, he says, might be to expect it, acknowledge that it’s universal, and forge ahead nonetheless.

Ultimately you become better prepared for experiencing fear, and less likely to let it distract you from your purpose.

Sign up for a free trial subscription on Big Think Edge and watch Norton's lesson here: